Tune in 11/11/11 for a Special Extreme Home Maker Over for Veterans Day

Veteran’s Day is very important to not only our country, but to me personally. One of my friends was killed in action in Iraq in March 2004. It is very important to remember and thank our Veterans, every day for the sacrifices they make and their families make, everyday.  I wanted to share something that is really cool with you.

ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is teaming up with the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) to present a one-hour special: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition “Rise and Honor” A Veterans Day Special.  Airing on Veterans Day (11/11/11), host Ty Pennington will take us back to some of the most heartwarming military stories featured over the years. The Veterans’ Day program will include appearances by Whoopi Goldberg, Jewel, George Lopez, J.R. Martinez, Rachael Ray, Sherri Shepherd, Robin Williams as well as Major League Baseball (MLB) players Daniel Murphy of the Mets, Shane Victorino of the Phillies and Clay Buchholz of the Red Sox – all encouraging the public to donate via phone and web at www.riseandhonor.org. 

The funds raised during #RiseandHonor will benefit the following veteran-serving organizations:

 ·        Fisher House Foundation

·         Hire Heroes USA
·         Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund
·         USO (United Service Organizations)
·         Volunteers of America
·         and Welcome Back Veterans.

 These organizations provide vital services and support to our nations veterans and their families including housing, job placement, career readiness, health care, rehabilitation and mental health treatment. 

I will be tuning in and I hope you all will too. It is really important to celebrate and remember our Veterans.  There are so many Veterans that end up with nothing, and on the streets. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to be in a war. We should give back, what they gave for us. I am sure I will end up crying my eyes out, because stories about the Military always make me cry. They make me think about Chris and how he and so many others gave all for the land of the free.

Noah's Accent

I am first generation American on my Dad’s side. I am both Irish and English. I find it hilarious that sometimes when Noah talks he either talks with a slight British accent or in British slang.  Now, he watches Kipper, Peppa Pig, and Thomas and they are all British shows.  There is a character on Kipper named Arnold. If I ask Noah if the little pig’s name is Arnold (Ar-nold) he will say no its ahh-nold.  Peppa Pig is a weird show where the pigs look like they have pink hairdryers for heads and they walk around snorting all the time, which seeing as they are pigs that would make sense.  All the other characters along with Peppa Pig’s family will talk in their British accents and then randomly make their animal noises. Most other shows with talking animals do not do this.  Noah loves popsicles so now he calls them “ice lollies”. He will say can I have an ice lolly mommy? I am always thinking popsicle Noah popsicle.

He has become very fond of legos and when he wants help taking them apart, he asks me to break it in to bits. I am not sure where he learned that from but I think it’s funny and cute.  One last British thing Noah says is when he wants to do something he will say “Can I have a go?”  I bet my dad would think it is funny that Noah sometimes talks with a British accent.  When we go to England someday, Noah will fit in as long as there are lots of ice lollies and everyone is named Ahh-nold.

Should We Drug Test People on Government Assistance?

I briefly touched on the topic of food stamps, and welfare on my bully post, but I have been meaning to write this post for a long time. I figured while I have my soap box out I would go ahead and write it.  There has been a lot of talk about people on assistance and how they should be drug tested to receive assistance. Which is stereotyping people that need the help, and it is wrong. I am sorry but if someone needs  the help I would rather them get it, then have them go hungry or have medical problems.  Just because they need help doesn’t make them a crackhead.  I would be naïve to say that no one does drugs that are on assistance, because I am sure some do.  You really don’t know why the person needs it. 

They could have a sick child who has medical bills that use up the money they do have, they might have a reason they can’t work. Maybe they are a single parent and they can’t afford to work and pay for daycare and food. Maybe they are supposed to get child support and the other parent doesn’t pay it.  There are many reasons that people need help.  I am sure there are people who abuse the system, its not perfect but it is not a reason to look down upon or make fun of someone who is trying to provide for their family. As someone who is against drugs, if someone acts like they are all strung out, by all means make them take a drug test.  It should be a case by case instance.  Not everyone on assistance does drugs, not everyone on drugs gets assistance. 

Another thing that really makes me angry is when people say things like, oh my gosh, look at the junk food those people are getting with their assistance! They shouldn’t be allowed to get chips and candy and cupcakes and cookies. They shouldn’t be able to get the “extras” if they are on assistance.  Really? Did you really just say that? It really makes me want to knock someone off their high horse. Why does anyone think they can determine what someone else puts in their shopping cart?  I think children deserve a treat. I think that a child deserves a bedtime snack, if the parent wants them to have it. Why take that away from a child? They should have the chance to have cookies or candy every so often.  I don’t see anything wrong with that. 

I hate it when people say; things like I pay for your kids or you sit at home and do nothing while I “support” your kids. I am pretty sure at some point they did have a job. Taxes are taxes; you will pay them if there are 10 people on assistance or 10,000. The government would find a way to come up with something to use it for.  That is one thing that I don’t like about Judge Judy when she says things like that. Really we don’t know the full situation; we shouldn’t judge people for seeking the help that they really do need.

I think before we are quick to make comments like those or even judge or look down on someone, we should stop and think about it.  We don’t know their reasons, we are not the ones that should decide who does or doesn’t deserve the right to have help.  If there is someone you know that is abusing the system or doing things they shouldn’t be, you should anonymously report them and at least let your concerns be known if there is a legitimate concern.   Someday you might find yourself if their shoes and I am sure you wouldn’t like to be labeled because you are trying to help your family.  I think if you need the help   you shouldn’t be too proud to ask for help. It doesn’t make you a bad person.  What is wrong is needing the help and not getting it and letting your children go hungry.

This is an extremely controversial topic so I have chosen to do something I have never done and close the comments on this post. I just wanted to share how I feel on this topic and I do respect everyone’s opinions, I don’t want to start an argument. I am sure you can understand my reasoning behind this decision.